Ancient Greek Theater is one of the many assets of the past. This part of the worldâ€™s history made it possible for the theater industry to be what it is today. Hollywood, the Mecca of all aspiring filmmakers and stars of the 21st Century, was created as a result of all the innovations and changes of the theater that began to take place in Ancient Greece. There are different film festivals and awards shows that take place all over the world as well. For example, the famous Oscar Awards, which every star, director and composer dreams about in their lifetimes. The tragic contests of Greece were very similar to the Oscars, because it was where the playwrights of that time period sought recognition for their outstanding theatricals they wrote and presented. The contests were most likely the foundations of Hollywood, the Oscars, and everything else related to plays and films. Ancient Greek Theater evolved into the worldâ€™s theater industry as it is today as a result of the innovations and ideas put into effect by various people in Greece who lived during that era of theatrical achievement.

The origins of Ancient Greek Theater are thought to have began around the 8th century B.C., when primitive tribes occupied Greece (Nardo 13). In Thrace, an area of northern Greece, there began a group which worshipped Dionysus, the Greek God of human and agricultural fertility. Dionysus also supposedly invented wine making and engaged in poetry, song, and drama. The Cult of Dionysus, as it was called, engaged in rites and celebrations in which there was intoxication, orgies, and human and animal sacrifices (Elias 1). The cult practiced wild displays that made people become hysterical and mentally out of control, which the Greeks called ecstasis (ecstasy). This concept meant a release of emotions, which was the basis for Greek plays. By acting out the plays, the Greeks thought it was a way of emotional release.